Gunman who opened fire near White House was known to Secret Service

A gunman who opened fire outside the White House on Saturday before he was shot by federal agents was already known to the US Secret Service, court records show. The man, 21, was taken to a nearby hospital, before he was later pronounced dead. He had previously tried to enter the complex, according to an affidavit filed in DC superior court in 2025, following an arrest nearby. The White House was briefly locked down shortly after 6pm on Saturday after the suspect approached a checkpoint at a gate near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, took a pistol out of a bag and fired, the Secret Service said. Officers returned fire, the agency said, striking the suspect. A bystander was also struck in the exchange, the Secret Service said, but it was unclear whether they were struck by the suspect or shots returned from officers. No agents were injured. Donald Trump, who was inside the White House at the time of the incident, claimed the gunman as having “a violent history” and a “possible obsession” with the White House. The US president praised the “swift and professional action” of law enforcement officials on social media. US Secret Service agents keep watch on the roof of the White House after a shooting incident nearby on Saturday. …